Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

5-1975

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

A. Keith Turkett

Committee Members

Gem Kate Greninger, Clayton Carpenter, C. Harold Measel, Robert Shepard

Abstract

Problem: The problem was to determine whether experimental, supervised program of instruction was successful in changing a probationary student’s academic standing, as measured by grade point average and scores from the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

Method: The following hypotheses, as stated in null form, were tested.

  1. There will be no significant difference between the Identity Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  2. There will be no significant differences between the Self-Satisfaction Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and the post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  3. There will be no significant difference between the Physical Self Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  4. There will be no significant difference between the Family Self Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  5. There will be no significant difference between the Social Self Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  6. There will be no significant difference between the Total Positive Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  7. There will be no significant difference between the Self-Criticism Scores of the experimental group and those of the control group on the pre-test and post-test of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale.

  8. There will be no significant difference in the academic grade point averages of the experimental group and those of the control group.

Findings and Conclusions: In summary, the following findings and conclusions were drawn:

  • Identity Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to have a higher perception of their own identity after the program had ended.
  2. Conclusion: This change resulted from the fact that at the time of the pre-test all the students were on probation, but at the time of the post-test a considerable number had achieved “good standing” status (GPA above 2.00). This change in academic status, therefore, brought about a change in the way each subject perceived himself.
  • Self-Satisfaction Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to feel more positively about the self they perceived after the program had ended.
  2. Conclusion: This change resulted from the fact that during the experimental, supervised program of instruction, the instructor frequently indicated to the subjects that they were persons of worth. This technique was based upon the premise that when persons are totally accepted by others, they come to the realization that they are persons of value.
  • Physical Self Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group did not tend to reflect any real change in the way they viewed their body, state of health, physical appearance, sexuality, or appearance after the program had ended. This same finding was reported by Karen Moses in her study with probationary students at Brigham Young University.
  2. Conclusion: No change resulted from the fact that this experimental, supervised program of instruction was unable to produce a change in a value as permanent as the physical self. The physical self was so strong that it could not be substantively modified in nine weeks.
  • Family Self Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to reflect a higher sense of worth and value as family members after the program had ended. A different finding was reported by Clements, who discovered no significant differences in family self as a result of his program with the under-achievers.
  2. Conclusion: This change resulted from the fact that students were psychologically supported by their families during the time of the program, thereby increasing their family self-concept. Parents were aware of the program because copies of the letters asking students to participate were mailed directly to the homes of each student before the program began.
  • Social Self Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to reflect a higher sense of adequacy and worth in their social interaction with other people after the program had ended. Jensen and Amberg found that social self scores in their experimental subjects increased slightly over their control subjects but they judged their results to be inconclusive.
  2. Conclusion: This change resulted from the social nature of the program. Although the sessions were conducted in a structured atmosphere, the participants were encouraged to discuss their feelings freely. Most subjects exhibited considerable acceptance of one another, thereby reinforcing one another’s social self.
  • Total Positive Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to have an overall higher level of self-esteem after the program had ended. This same finding was obtained by Caplan in his study with junior high school boys.
  2. Conclusion: This score resulted from the higher sub-scale scores, which when combined, form the Total Positive Score. The data showed the Identity, Family Self, Self-Satisfaction, and Social Self definitely changed; therefore, it was expected that the Total Positive Score would likely change.
  • Self-Criticism Score
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group did not tend to be any more honest in their self description and capacity for self-criticism after the program had ended.
  2. Conclusion: No change resulted from the fact that even before the program had begun, the individuals of the experimental group were shown to be very honest in their self-description and capacity for self-criticism. Therefore, before the program they were found to have a normal healthy openness.
  • Academic Grade Point Average
  1. Finding: The members of the experimental group tended to achieve high grades after the program had ended. These same results were obtained by Sheldon and Landsman, who found a significant improvement in academic grades among their experimental group after a program with students in academic difficulty.
  2. Conclusion: This change appears to have resulted because the subjects learned to study and read more efficiently and thereby grasp material more thoroughly; however, the students who continued to participate in the study may have been more highly motivated to study than those who dropped out.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Download

Share

COinS